I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 11

It did not take long to fathom that when the dream dispelled, Itachi only entered another. The contrast from melancholy to warmth brought liberation.

"I'm here," came Kanna's whispery voice. She lay in his futon, so Itachi twisted over her. His hips forced her knees apart. He pulled his yukata aside.

The sound of her moan was faint, and his heart ached at its manifestation. As he moved, he knew the moment was a delusion. He could not feel her. The edges of his vision were dark, and imagination could not conjure Kanna's nudity or justify why she was in his bed.

Even so, his hands ventured to touch her, but it was then that the dream dissipated. He awoke in a sheen of perspiration. He rested a hand on his abdomen and stared at the ceiling.

"Oi Kanna! Your mom said we'd find you here. You forgot about sensei's thing, didn't ya?!" Soota hollered from several yards away. Utada Kita was with him.

Kanna gasped, cursed herself and looked between the young men and Itachi. She had just returned from an early lunch and knelt by the garden with the stoic Uchiha. Mumbling a rushed farewell to her ward, Kanna turned to leave and follow her friends.

Itachi grabbed her wrist before he could fully measure the consequence. She mentioned an event yesterday but had clearly forgotten. Perhaps he should have provided a reminder, but he had felt no inclination to do so.

Kanna's head whirled around, her eyebrows arched high over surprised, brown eyes. "Everything okay?" she asked thoughtfully, sweetly. Her attention was now solely on him.

He held her gaze, her wrist yet captured, and an electric hum coursed through his body. He could tell by her quickened breath that she was affected as well. He did not marvel alone.

"I'd like you to stay."

He gently released her, unnerved by the growing lack of control. Though who would guess it? Unlike hers, his face held no rise of emotion.

Kanna remained silent, grappling with a response that would make sense of his sudden need for attention. She bit her lip and inhaled deeply.

"Okay," she said at last. Her voice was softer than usual, and her pale lashes kept fluttering, unable to maintain eye contact. She was nervous. His inconsistencies baffled her, he knew.

Up ahead, Soota and Utada noticed she halted to join them.

"Hey Kanna! C'mon!" Soota waved her over.

Kanna jumped, startled from the stupor that the Uchiha often subjected her to. Her cheeks reddened and Itachi could tell she found it difficult to inform her friends that the plans had changed. Her chest made a choking sound, suddenly indecisive again.

Itachi stood, bringing her up with him. His voice projected, "She will stay. There is more to do."

Soota scratched the back of his head. "Senpai's such a hard ass." He sighed too loudly to be casual, brushing off the sudden change of plans. "Let's go, Kita." He wrapped an arm around his colleague's shoulders, leading them away. "Trust me, when those two get to workin', it's like—"

Utada glanced back, hoping to catch Kanna's gaze as Soota jabbered on. But her eyes were still lowered in guilt. His indignant expression turned into a scathing glare, unmistakably aimed at where the Uchiha held her. The memory of Kanna beside herself with frustration came to mind—jealous when Itachi had given audience to another woman.

When the young men were out of sight, Itachi said, "Follow me. I'd like to show you something."

Kanna's continence lit up. "We don't have to work?"

His gaze softened. She believed the words he had said to the two Anbu. "That was an excuse. You have difficulty saying no."

She laughed as she followed him into the woods. "You're worse than me."

"Perhaps," he admitted.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He only nodded, feeling light.

"Where are we going?"

"I found an underwater passage at the eastern enclave. It leads to a grotto inside the stone mountain."

Her lips parted in awe. He was again bemused by the willpower needed to look away from them. Or why he felt the need to consider the shape of them in the first place.

"Oh, I'm so excited!"

He offered, "I am unsure whether it has been discovered. There is no sign of exploration. It is not in any geographic text you have given me. You will need to disclose the information to Konoha's clerical archives."

"Why me?" she asked, hurrying to keep pace with his long strides.

He glanced at her. Without fail he managed to give her work when at present he only meant to show her something beautiful. "It is outside the parameters afforded to me."

Of course, she giggled at his reasoning. "Sasuke-san is close with the Hokage. You could get away with anything—!"

Itachi suddenly halted and turned. She stuttered to a standstill when his palm touched her cheek.

"Not anything." She should know that.

Expectedly a blush blossomed on her cheeks and spread to her nose and temple. "W-w-well that all depends, I guess."

"Yes," he said, once again endeavoring to rein in every thought at the feel of her. "Let's go."

He walked faster, combatting with uncontested principles, belittling his own intelligence that had once been praised. Her words were never provocative, and they were not now. Yet often he felt a moment away from salacious thought at her every word or action.

And now he took her deeper into seclusion, to undiscovered terrain.

The moderate sized spring was lagoon-like as it waded against and disappeared under a section of the stone mountain. Its blue was bright in the middle. The closer they approached the shore, its expanding translucence was apparent. Its rocky floor had varying shades of green algae and white sand. The surrounding foliage and even the mountain seemed to cave toward it, almost embracing it.

"It's so beautiful."

Itachi nodded, staring out into nature.

Kanna suddenly covered her mouth in delight and pointed toward a large stone positioned under a trickle of the mountain water. A common kingfisher bathed itself, its blue and orange feathers puffing out in shivers. Shortly after another kingfisher joined it. Kanna and Itachi exchanged surprised, pleased glances before watching the two birds dance around one another.

Kanna tapped her fingertips together in a mock clap, excited. "Do we have to swim to get there?"

"Yes," he said, considering her.

"Okay!" She quickly discarded her ninja sandals.

Itachi removed his shirt and meticulously folded it. Beside him the chunin was already the hue of Usagi's hair. He would keep his trousers on.

Kanna fiddled with the strings that closed the collar of her shirt. Her toes disappeared under stone pebbles as she scrunched them in contemplation of her next move. Itachi said nothing, watching her, knowing without a doubt what he anticipated with this inadvertent part of their venture.

The small stringed bow at her collar was delicately untied. It opened the top of the shirt enough that she could drag it down her body instead of removing it overhead.

A blush touched her cheeks and Itachi's eyes lowered. She wore a thin, lavender brazier that outlined her breasts. In general, she was small, but she was a woman. Her slight waist curved into two, smooth hips that were hugged by shorts often used under medical gear.

Her thumbs dipped under her shorts' waistband and Itachi looked away. Should he stop her? He glanced again as the blue shorts were carelessly discarded with her shirt.

He focused on her face. "Follow me. No chakra." He dived into a deep section of the cold spring and felt immediate relief.

Kanna's heart raced as she pushed her arms and legs to keep up with Itachi's front crawl. His black hair floated and pulled with each fluid stroke. In everything, she thought, in everything he was beautiful.

"Itachi," she said above the water, "you're too fast."

He twisted to face her, his nostrils above the water's surface. His long hair pooled around him like ink, coiling at his shoulders and toward Kanna. Her hair was matted around her head.

She could tell he was excited to show her what it was he found. The tell was the staring longer than usual. It was a form of eagerness. It only came up when he anticipated a response to his questions. This, whatever this was, was not so different.

Earlier as he removed his shirt, she questioned why precisely the sight of armpit hair embarrassed her. Why did that image of him keep coming to mind? She'd only ever seen her father's hairy armpits. Her brothers had nothing going on there.

Kanna paddled closer to him. Her strokes were rougher, causing heavy ripples in the water while his had been elegant. With chakra, like a serpent she could move and leave the water undisturbed. But no, he had said 'no chakra'!

She probably looked like a drowning mouse.

His eyes seemed humored by the antics, and she couldn't help but smile. He seemed so like a boy, having fun, that it made her chest ache. She could never be friends with Itachi, not really. Not how she was with Mirai or Soota. But she would try because he asked it of her. Though, she wasn't sure if Itachi knew how to be her friend. It was unlikely that he ever tried to kiss Soota or indiscriminately grab his wrists. Or keep him from leaving the property.

Instead of using words, Itachi used his chin to gesture backwards, indicating they get a move on.

The action was so endearing she laughed and accidentally swallowed water. She began to cough too close to the surface and swallowed more, making it worse. He said 'no chakra' but—but—but maybe—

The next thing she knew, Itachi's hands settled on her hips, holding her up so she could safely cough up what she needed to.

Without thinking, she looped one arm around his neck and twisted her torso away to cough in the opposite direction. Her soft, little choking sounds traveled across the spring's surface.

Her chest felt cold hovering above the water but that hardly mattered as she finally cleared her trachea. Itachi's fingers twitched at her hips before they slid up to hold her waist.

Taking a moment to collect herself, Kanna sighed, eyes stinging, before turning back to Itachi. "I'm sorry," she rasped, "that was silly—oh."

She stopped talking when he slowly lulled her toward him. That she already had an arm around his neck made the position much more intimate—much more vulnerable as her flimsy, wet bralette now served little purpose.

They gazed at each other for a long while, wading in the water. Behind the darkest brown, she could almost see the sharingan, as if he kept it perpetually activated. He could very well be and this was the first time she'd ever noticed.

Kanna wasn't using any, but she knew he channeled chakra to hold them in place.

"Itachi," she whispered when he focused on her lips.

"I want to kiss you," he said without looking away from her mouth.

She could barely remember how to breathe, let alone respond to that. The things he said! How was she supposed to stay strong? She'd barely succeeded a few days ago in the kitchen.

His gaze met her dizzy one. "But I will not."

Her mind felt foggy. "Are you sure? You're…getting…closer."

And he was. His lips were only a hairsbreadth away. It was like the time in the forest. Her mouth slightly parted to exhale soft, little pants. Why was breathing such a chore around this man? What was this need, sprouting deep within her?

Before their lips could touch, he turned his head. For a moment she felt tricked, but the feeling disappeared when instead he brought her into an embrace. Kanna tensed as his arms wrapped around her back. She could feel the hard ridges of his chest and stomach against her own. But even so…she rested her cheek on his shoulder.

Hugging a man like this was nice, like she was meant to hug him. Her heart clenched within her when Itachi leaned his head on hers, cuddling her to him. Relax, relax, relax. No matter what happened after, she wanted to enjoy being held like this.

What did Itachi feel?

Kanna felt like she could fall into the best sleep of her life if he let her stay in his arms forever. She held on to him tighter just because.

"I have," he started gently, "taken liberties outside the realm of what we agreed, and it was not my intention. I would like to show you what I have found."

Kanna reluctantly parted from the embrace. "Okay, show me."

One of his rare, barely-there smiles touched his mouth and he pulled away from her. He made to swim but looked over his shoulder. "I will match your speed."

She giggled as she began to breaststroke with him. "Who knew an Uchiha could match the speed of a turtle."

"They can if they wish it." He turned before she could see the humor in his eyes.

Her brow furrowed and she swished water at the back of his head. He wasn't supposed to agree.

He continued to swim, blinking away the water that dripped into his eyes.

They swam underwater for two minutes until they came up to an interior part of the mountain. Beams of light flickered overhead from the ancient cracks in the cave's ceiling. They provided sufficient illumination and cascaded a sort of glow.

Itachi climbed up onto a bed of stone. Kanna nimbly stepped on ridges of rock and sat next to him on a higher ledge, elevating her a bit past his height. They silently observed the undiscovered beauty of the small grotto. She pointed and offered compliments to his discovery, but mostly they sat in silence and admired the cavern.

Kanna, with caution, whispered, "Why can't you leave the district?"

His gaze continued to roam. "You know more than you let on."

Mustering the boldness Itachi so easily displayed, she reached down and grabbed his left hand. Both sets of her fingers locked through his. He hugged her earlier, so she should be permitted at least this. If he denied her she might actually kick him.

He considered the gesture and lightly flexed his hand within hers.

"I…did some digging," she admitted. "It's not that hard to find the truth when you know what you're looking for."

"Or when your jutsu is undetectable."

"How did you know?" She was puzzled by the breadth of his intuition.

He turned his head in slight negation. "I was not sure until this moment. Your brother was briefly frightened of me when we resumed training at the end of winter. You likely did the research then, and you weren't alone."

"After Ryoba-kun's visit, Satomi…saw that I was upset and wanted to help answer some of my questions," she did her best to explain, so he wouldn't misunderstand her intentions, "I was confused at the time. At Ryoba-kun's words. At how you reacted. Satomi…he had questions way before I did. He saw an opportunity in my confusion and took it. My little brother can be very persuasive when it comes to convincing others to join his…adventures."

"He is." Itachi tore his gaze away from her. Her hair was a reflective conductor of the phosphorescent glow of the cave.

"The civil war…" Her hands still held his and he wasn't sure what it made him feel.

"There was no civil war, Kanna. Not really. It was avoided. You should know that. Konoha used me to dispose of the Uchiha before their rebellion escalated."

She quietly cried. "But how could you do it?" The question wasn't accusatory. She was questioning how he had taken up the weight of such an act. How had he done it?

"At the time it was the only way to ensure my brother's safety." She had younger brothers, too. "Their lives for his." If only very little, perhaps she would be able to understand.

She gripped his hand to her lap, holding him there. There were words she might have wanted to say but did not. What could be said?

Itachi observed the way she held his arm. She had grown comfortable with him. He was precious to her. It had taken his lack of control for her to bypass social courtesy and easily touch him. He could no longer hold her accountable if he himself was unable to abide by the rules.

His voice was a murmur, "The Uchiha chose wrong. I chose Sasuke and the objective safety of the village. I was young then." Desperate. "There could have been another way, but I did not see it."

"Oh Itachi," She wept quietly and the sound of it echoed in the cave. Because of their positions, he had to slightly twist toward her as she pulled his arm closer.

"You are not disgusted." He noted it without surprise.

"How could I be?" she managed to say. His heart grew cold the more she cried.

"I killed retired shinobi," he thought she should know before she grew more attached. "I killed children. I gouged every Uchiha eye I could find." But he missed some. There had not been enough time. Even with the masked man.

She shook her head, gooseflesh breaking out on her skin. He was expressionless and his voice was dull.

"I killed my parents."

She threw her arms up and pulled his head to her chest. That did surprise him. His elbow skimmed across her lap.

"What are you doing?" The palm of his hand slid on wet stone but easily found perchance to keep his weight off her. Her boldness knew little bonds.

She only shivered in soft tears. He could feel the sharp gasps against his hair. She would make herself sick. This was beyond the pale of empathy. There was no need for it.

Even so, Itachi pressed his cheek to her breasts.

When she calmed and her arms loosened around his head, he pulled away, expression bland.

"Are you hungry?" she asked between breaths.

"No."

The back of her hand rubbed her eyes. "Let's eat a snack. And then I have to go, okay?"

A full appetite returned to him months ago. He was more than healthy now, considering his age and stature. Sasuke's wife had seen to it that he maintained a good diet. He could stomach a 'snack' if only to appease her.

Kanna jumped into the water and Itachi quietly joined her. He said nothing to the random bursts of crying that overcame her as she swam ahead. She did not apologize as she usually did when she became too emotional. By the time they reached the shore she seemed finished.

At least, he assumed. He kept his back toward her as she redressed.

Kakashi lounged with his wife in the Uzumaki's brightly colored living area. It was Iruka's forty-second birthday. Naruto made an extensive fuss about it until the academy director agreed to celebrate.

Naruto's daughter zoomed by chasing a laughing Hiroyuki.

Seemingly bored, fist to cheek, Kakashi's gaze followed Kanna as she rushed in through the front door. She frantically bowed to every adult in her immediate vicinity, respectfully greeting them. Some of them tried to hold back their laughter at her habitual piety. Some of them didn't.

Her hair was damp, and she wore what she had that morning. She was usually meticulous with her appearance during these gatherings, like her mother. Yet she was late and looked as she did, the edges of her eyes pink and slightly swollen.

Soota and Kita had come earlier, without her, but said nothing of it.

Thinking of black birds, and recent events, Kakashi waved to Yamanaka Ino. She was conspiringly speaking with Sakura in a corner. Ayame, who had been leaning against his side, glanced over. (She had been beside herself the last two days, worried their sons had yet to return from a mission).

"Ino," the Rokudaime addressed, "a word please."

She and Sakura smiled, both attentive.

"Privately," he specified and stood. Ino became serious, nodding and got up as well. Kakashi swept a caress on the side of Ayame's temple. "I'll be back."

Itachi sat next to his brother while he began a mundane discussion with the Aburame head. Aburame Shibi. Placing his voice, Itachi recognized he was one of the council members who initially received him into the village.

The long, circular room was traditionally styled. Clan heads sat on slightly elevated platforms and beside them were their heirs. Below sat an elder or two. Lined up outside the assembly hall were two of each clans' strongest shinobi, masked and ready to be called upon at a moments notice.

Amicably, the members made conversation with one another. Just a moment ago, those in the meeting room had been saddled with silence as Sasuke and Itachi entered and made their way to the Uchiha arrangement on the left. After the initial shock (and visual confirmation) of Itachi's existence, they all seemed to resume their discussions.

Each time another posse entered, their gazes were instantly drawn to the left.

Every platform was now occupied, Itachi noted. So why the delay? Commonly these happenings were unforgivingly punctual.

The Rokudaime waltzed into the room, eyes creased and demeanor light. Many bowed their necks or nodded their heads in deference. Kakashi raised his arm and waved.

"Hey Itachi!" he said cheerily.

Singled out, Itachi nodded. "Rokudaime-sama."

Sasuke tsked a laugh. Under his breath, he commented, "Late as always."

"Oh I heard that," Kakashi sang and sat right between the Uchiha brothers. They were closer than necessary so the two had to shift away as the older man's shoulders pushed into theirs.

"I was counting on it." Sasuke smirked at his old teacher.

How curious to witness, for the first time, Sasuke's character around the Rokudaime. His brother was instantly pleased as soon as the man strolled into the assembly. Like a father, Sasuke had once said.

Catching Itachi's intent stare, Kakashi turned the eye smile to him. "How are you these days?"

"I am well," Itachi answered plainly. "Your children are fitting companions." The words publicized that he was more than aware of what Kakashi had orchestrated.

The Rokudaime chuckled, the creases at his eyes becoming tighter. "I'm glad my perfect little angels are of use."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "That's one way to describe them." Also, what was this tension? Perhaps his brother felt a sort of resentment for the worldly attachments Kakashi had sprung on him.

"Tell me," Itachi said, aware every eye was on them, "why is the Rokudaime Hokage here?"

Kakashi blinked and looked to Sasuke. "You haven't told him? How unlike you. With the way you talked about him in the last assembly you'd think the sun rose and fell on Itachi's ass."

Sighing, Sasuke acknowledged his brother. "Kakashi is our official clan advisor. An Uchiha elder, you could say…." Then he shrugged, unwilling to elaborate.

"I see." There was no need to explain.

Itachi pictured a young Sasuke, recently a father, called to stand alone before a dozen clan heads and no idea how to proceed. The Rokudaime's relationship with his brother was profound and it was no mystery why the man would help the Uchiha clan in this way.

Bowing deeper than normal, Itachi said "Thank you."

Kakashi continued to smile. "You're very welcome." He then placed a finger to his lips. "No need to disclose this to my son. We wouldn't want to give him any ideas."

Out of the three, Itachi immediately knew which he was referring to. The boy was unofficially a part of a clan—a clan he ambitiously aspired to have.

After formalities, and re-introductions, the assembly began. The clan heads of today had been the heirs of the past. Inuzuka Hana, for example, held the place of leader and a teen, toothy boy with ruffled hair sat next to her. Inuzuka Tsume sat below them, now serving as advisor. It was the same for many clans but not all of them. A few clan representatives, like the Nara and Yamanaka, held no one of the past, indicating the prior panels were dead or changed occupancy.

Clan genealogies would be his next literary endeavor.

As anticipated, the direction of the conversation turned to the Uchiha, and especially, what role Uchiha Itachi played in their demise. It was a needed discussion, Sasuke had warned. To the Uchiha brothers' mild revelation, each elder began to confess their part in the downfall of their clan. The rivalries, the disagreements, the jealousies, and the dwindling allegiances.

The prior Hyuga head admitted to empathizing with the Uchiha as they now occupied the title of the village's strongest clan and to this very day they faced biases because of it. Hyuga Hiashi then bowed from his waist and his accompanying kinsmen followed.

"You were a child who sacrificed himself to solve adult problems. It is long overdue that your sacrifice be honored. You have our humblest gratitude and our deepest condolences."

Each leader, with their successor and appointed elders, kowtowed as well.

Mutely, Itachi took in the overwhelming sight with a measure of uncertainty. It was unexpected. He anticipated acknowledgement, but not of this level. He considered his brother and saw strong emotion rolling in the depths of his dark eyes. Sasuke was equally caught unawares. Even the Rokudaime stopped smiling long ago, attentive to the proceedings.

Recognition was not something Itachi sought nor needed, so it was not without discomfort that he nodded in acknowledgment of the assembly's display. Even so, he knew unity of thought would fortify Konoha and secure its prospering future.

That, at least, he welcomed.

A little shorter than usual, I know. I'm not quite satisfied with this chapter tbh. I made a million edits and would have continued editing, so I decided to just post. I'm sure later I'll come back and tweak a few things.

Tell me what you guys think!